


A-Okay

by delicatelyglitterywriter



Category: Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: Asexual Character, Asexual Sky Smith, DWFicExchange, Friendship, Gen, LGBTQ Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 13:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20009164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/delicatelyglitterywriter/pseuds/delicatelyglitterywriter
Summary: Sky Smith is scared, and she has to talk to someone. She doesn't want to talk to her mum, or Luke, and so she turns to Maria.





	A-Okay

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bringyouhometoo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bringyouhometoo/gifts).



> I know it's not what you asked for, but it's the best I could do on (really super) short notice. I hope you still enjoy it somewhat :)

Sky knows she’s not supposed to use Luke’s laptop, but it’s the only device that has Maria’s contact details on it. And she needs to talk to Maria.

Yes, she could talk to her mum, or Luke, but she’s scared to. 

Still, she needs to talk to  _ someone _ . Luke always talks highly of Maria, and has told Sky multiple times that he’d trust Maria with his life. The way he talks about her makes Sky trust her, too, even though she’s only met Maria once.

So, while Luke and her mum are out shopping, she sneaks into his room and cracks open his laptop. It’s password protected, of course, and she tries several passwords before sighing in frustration, pausing to listen for any sounds of Luke’s return. When she hears none, she picks up the laptop and scurries up to the attic.

“Mr Smith, I need you, please.”

Mr Smith wakes up. “Sky. How can I help?”

“Can you get me into Luke’s laptop? Please?”

Her heart is pounding in her chest as she makes the request, and she can feel her hands becoming clammy and her forehead wet. She’s never liked breaking the rules; the icky feeling of doing the wrong thing has always kept her in line. She wouldn’t break the rules unless it was really important, and she’s decided that calling Maria is more important than following the rules.

“That’s a breach of privacy, Sky,” Mr Smith reprimands. “I cannot do what you ask.”

“Please! I just need to get Maria’s details and then I’ll put it back.”

“Maria Jackson? Why do you need her details?”

“I need to call her,” Sky explains. “I have to talk to her about something important.”

“Why don’t you talk to Sarah Jane or Luke?” he asks. Sky shakes her head, biting back a wave of tears. She draws in a deep breath, fearing each wasted second. 

“I can’t. I just...can’t.”

“What is it, Sky?” Mr Smith wonders empathetically. “What is so important for you to talk about that you are willing to risk this?”

Again, Sky shakes her head. “I can’t say. Please, Mr Smith, just help me.”

The computer sighs, relenting. “Put the laptop back, Sky. I have Maria’s details. I will give them to you if you put Luke’s laptop back where it’s supposed to be.”

Sky hurries to do as she’s told, and she makes a quick stop in her room to change out of her sweaty clothes and returns a short time later.

“It’s back in his room,” she says. “Can I have Maria’s number now, please?”

Mr Smith displays Maria’s contact details without saying anything, much to Sky’s relief. She doesn’t want to talk to anyone but Maria right now. Once she’s scribbled the information down on a piece of paper, she scampers back downstairs, calling out a quick thanks to Mr Smith.

* * *

Sky had thought that getting the details would be the hardest part of this. But now, sitting in front of the screen, mouse hovering over the call button, she thinks she hasn’t ever faced anything more difficult than this.

She barely even knows Maria. How is she supposed to call up and ask her for help, out of the blue? What if she’s not as cool as she seems?

She sighs, battling her feelings as she stares at her closed bedroom door. She knows she doesn’t have much more time before Luke and her mum get back, and after that, she can’t make the call, because she knows that somehow or other, they’ll overhear. 

Mustering up all the courage she can find in herself, she presses the ‘call’ button, before she can change her mind. 

It rings once. Sky immediately regrets her decision.

It rings twice. She still has time to back out.

It rings thrice. She moves the mouse to end the call.

Maria picks up before she can close the chat.

“Sky!” she greets with a grin. “Hey! Good to see you again!”

“Hi, Maria,” she says back, trying to sound enthusiastic, but she knows she doesn’t quite get there.

“Hey, kid, what’s up?” Maria asks, picking up on her tone. 

“Nothing,” Sky lies, looking down as she becomes again scared to say what she called to say. Maria tsks from the other side.

“You’re an awful liar. Did you do something bad?”

“No!” Sky’s head shoots up in alarm. Maria tilts her head.

“Well, you’re scared of something, so spill.” When Sky hesitates, Maria speaks again. “You did call me because of it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Sky affirms, looking down again. Maria sighs sympathetically.

“And whatever it is, it’s scary enough that you can’t turn to Luke or Sarah Jane. That must be pretty scary. What is it?”

“It’s not really scary,” Sky explains, staring at Maria’s jacket, but refusing to look into the camera. “It’s just the telling about it bit that’s scary.”

“Yeah, I know something of that,” Maria says in such a way that Sky knows - she doesn’t know  _ how _ she knows, she just does - that Maria has had to deal with this kind of thing before, too. 

“You won’t tell anyone?” Sky asks, finally working up the courage to look at Maria’s face.

“Promise,” Maria says so empathetically that Sky can’t disbelieve her. She exhales shakily, and then pauses, realising she doesn’t know what to say. She goes with the point of the story that makes the most sense to her.

“I kissed my best friend, Ellie.”

Maria’s eyebrows shoot up, and her mouth curves into a smile. “I see. Do you like her, then?”

“That’s just it,” Sky says. “I don’t. And I’ve tried to kiss my best guy-friend, Tim, too. But I don’t have a crush on him, either. I...I don’t really fancy anyone.”

Maria looks thoughtful. “I see. Have you ever had any crushes before?”

“No. I’ve never liked anyone, in that way. And I don’t think I’d mind too much, but literally  _ everyone _ in my year level has a crush, or has had a crush in the past, and so I did some research, and I came across this word: ‘asexual’, and the more I read, the more it sounded like me, and I think that’s what I am.”

By the end of her ramble, she’s staring at her bed sheets. Her heart is banging against her ribs, and she’s scared of how Maria is going to react.

_ Please be cool, _ she wishes.  _ Please be cool, please be cool, please be- _

“That’s awesome, Sky,” Maria says happily. Sky’s gaze snaps back to Maria, as her words sink in.

“Really?”

“Yeah! It’s really cool when someone finds their identity, and I’m glad you’ve found yours. I’m really happy for you, Sky.”

Sky grins, her whole body relaxing at Maria’s words. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from her shoulders, and she wants to jump around the room, she’s so happy. But she has a few more things she needs to ask.

“But what if it’s just a phase? Some people are just late bloomers.”

Maria shrugs, sighing. She rubs her temples with her hands. 

“Yeah, that would be kind of hard to know for sure with asexuality,” she muses more to herself than to Sky. Then, she looks up and addresses Sky. “It’s okay if that’s the case. It’s okay if you are just a ‘late bloomer’, you can use the term ‘asexual’, because that’s who you are right now. If that changes later, that’s okay. You don’t need to be scared of being a ‘fake’, or whatever.”

Skye relaxes completely. Those were the exact words she had needed to hear.

“Thanks, Maria.”

“Anything for you, Sky,” she says genuinely. “Now, let’s hear you say it.”

“Huh?”

“Let me hear you say ‘I am Sky Smith, and I am asexual’.”

“Why?” Sky demands, some of her previous fear returning.

“There’s something incredibly powerful about saying it out loud. I want you to feel that power, and if you’re okay with it, I think it would be really cool to share in the moment. But only if you’re ready to.”

Sky nods, glancing out the window. No car in the driveway. She feels braver than before, so she decides to give it a go.

“I am Sky Smith, and I am asexual,” she says, though her voice is quiet. She’s a bit scared of saying it too loudly, not wanting  _ anyone _ to hear.

“Come on, properly!” Maria encourages. “Say it in a normal voice.”

Sky takes a deep breath, standing up, off her bed. She turns the laptop so Maria can see her. She takes another deep breath, rolls her shoulders back, and holds her chin up high. She can do this. She plants her hands on her hips, spreads her feet to shoulder length apart, and takes a look around her room. 

She  _ can _ do this.

She  _ will _ do this.

“I am Sky Smith,” she declares, her voice at her normal volume. “And I am asexual.”

She works hard to keep her voice steady and strong as she says it, but she manages, and a giddy feeling ripples through her body. She bounces on her toes, grinning ear to ear.

“That was awesome!”

“I know!” Maria squeals back. “I’m so proud of you! I only wish I could be there in real life! Next time I come, I’m going to give you the biggest hug!”

Sky giggles, not feeling any of the fear she’d felt a few minutes ago. 

“I am asexual!” she declares again, throwing her hands out. “That feels really good to say!”

Maria laughs. “Yeah, it does! Oh, dad’s calling me. Gotta go. See you later, Sky. Keep being  _ ace _ .”

Sky laughs, hanging up with Maria. She sinks back onto her bed with a sigh, happy from the talk. She wishes she could feel this way forever. Her heart jolts in her chest as she feels her mum’s car pull up in the driveway, and the previous feeling dissipates somewhat, but the deep happiness in her chest is still there. But, some of the fear has returned, so Sky gets busy, to avoid questions. 

Just before settling, she opens her bedroom door ajar; she knows her mum likes to make sure they’re staying safe on the internet, and so prefer their doors open. She doesn’t mind, she never does anything bad. 

“Hey Sky,” Luke greets as he walks past her room. She waves a foot in acknowledgement of his greeting, not taking her eyes off the screen. She’d managed to pull up her drawing game before he came up. She only has to keep her breathing steady and relaxed, to keep her secret a secret.

* * *

Later, she goes down for a snack, and her mum strikes up conversation. 

“Have a nice day up there?” she asks. Sky nods, picking an apple out from next to a pear. She doesn’t like pears. Pears are evil.

“Relaxed, went on the internet, talked to Maria a bit, nothing overly special.”

Sarah Jane raised her eyebrows and then smiled. “Ah, Maria. How is she?”

“Yeah, I think she’s good. We didn’t talk for long; her dad called her away.”

“Mmm. What did you two end up talking about?”

Sky chomps down on her bottom lip to keep from getting defensive. She knows her mum only means well, and doesn’t mean to pry, but it does feel a bit like prying with what she and Maria talked about. Sky shrugs, focusing intently on the fruit in her hand to avoid having to look at her mum.

“Stuff.”

Sarah Jane just huffs a laugh and shakes her head, before letting it go. Sky’s grateful for that. 

“I see. Did you two at least have fun, talking about ‘stuff’?”

Sky grins and nods. “Yeah, we did.”


End file.
